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clover0101 · 2 months

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haruka and what each animal on his case represents, an analysis

before we begin, general CW for the issues haruka's story deals with (neglect, child abuse, animal death, etc).

Throughout the MVs, animals play an important role in Haruka's story. I think each of these represents a part of Haruka, both how he perceives himself and how he wants to be perceived. Even if Haruka presumably has numerous animal victims, the ones most emphasized are dogs, fish, and rabbits.

1. RABBITS

Haruka is seen on many occasions with his bunny plush. It’s so important that it appears not only in Weakness and Undercover but also in graffart’s collab, where each item is importan on the character's story in one way or another (like mahiru and the mantis). I see it as a toy from his childhood that he’s very attached to.

The fact that it’s specifically a rabbit is interesting to me, as the rabbit is a prey. If we go to the unique point of view of Japanese culture, rabbits are also quite related to the moon. The lunar cycles are also an important symbol in weakness, showing white, blue and finally red moons over a red sky. The origin of the relationship between rabbits and the moon is debated between admiration as they are perceived as objects of fertility and health because of their reproduction, or a legend that spread from India:

"a rabbit can't tolerate seeing people die and jumps into the fire to become food, then Indra rewards him for his sacrifice and takes him to the moon."

The theme of self sacrifice and the ultimate reward one receives for it is reinforced by Taoism, where the hare, like the moon, dies to be reborn and represents immortality. More popularly, rabbits are also associated with good fortune. It being white also points to innocence, and in turn to the pursuit of something that upon attainment brings discovery, an idea popularized by Alice in Wonderland. Even if it's more seen as a weak and tender animal, it has also been culturally represented as cruel and capable of aggression, closer to what Haruka is than the role of merely a prey. Haruka wants to be seen as weak prey that the strong hunt, to be pitied and loved for it. To be perceived as someone to be protected, as he cannot defend himself, but this is contradicted by his own actions both in weakness and throughout milgram. The prey becomes the predator and gives way to the next animal;

2. DOGS

The dog is universally a symbol of loyalty and the effort it takes to form a training bond between a wild animal and a human. Dogs are seen accompanying men and being obedient to women.

Dogs are perceived as creatures that love unconditionally and are capable of giving everything to protect those they love.

In terms of personality and behavior, they are the closest animals to Haruka, who accepts and actively seeks to be guided and to be faithful for someone, to be used to feel useful and not abandoned.

Even if they are domestic, the dogs whose breeds are distinguishable are large dogs, considered to be hunting dogs. Haruka being represented as a dog also creates a parallel with kotoko, who is represented by a wolf.

Haruka being represented as a dog also creates a parallel with kotoko, who is represented by a wolf. Dogs are the friendlier, "clean" version of wolves, domesticated to be obedient, while wolves maintain a certain solitary air of independence and savagery.

However, whenever a dog is featured on screen it is accompanied by loud instrumentals and rather graphic visuals. In Weakness, child Haruka accepts and expresses affection towards the animal, who apparently is suddenly injured and runs away from him into a forest, where he is disoriented and confused. Haruka follows its footsteps and ends up seeing his hands in horror, realizing that he's the cause of its injury.

The perspective of present Haruka isn't so different, who now attacks it, destroying it until the only remains are the necklace it was wearing, ultramarine liquid and eyes, which I consider represent the opinions of others and looks that judge him.

I think the fact that this dog bleeds the same color as Haruka's is a not-so-hidden hint at the fact that, in a way, Haruka is ending up with a part of himself (this time a bit smaller, not being human yet) to escape people's judgments.

There are also many sayings that by mistreating someone, "you are treating them like a dog", like an animal, something inferior, but that still sticks to what the human wants and believing all their words.

In AKAA, we see that instead of being a mix of at least two dogs, they're now separate entities and different breeds that dissolve as Haruka sings about being reborn. Again, dogs often appear in stories as spirit guides, helping humans enter and exit the realm of the dead safely, representing a middle ground between life and death. Dogs are followers of their owners, not leaders, and no matter how close a bond they form with humans, they are rarely recognized as equals to us.

3. FISH

Most of the similarities between Haruka and fish are presented visually, with Haruka being a passive spectator of his own life, observing others from behind something akin to a glass wall that separates him from normal people. He's constantly surrounded by water drowning, and in one scene is even presented at a fish-eye angle, being watched by his mother.

In AKAA we can see two specific species of fish.

Yellow bobfish: they're very complicated fish to keep in aquariums because they release toxins when stressed and are naturally solitary once they reach adulthood, it's not recommended to have more than two in the same tank because they are territorial and aggressive among their own species, however it's friendly and sociable with fish of other species. It responds to stress with aggression and attacks its own kind (in this case other weaklings) just like Haruka.

Clownfish: they usually inhabit anemones, forming a mutualism in which they find shelter and food. Toxins from anemones don't affect them as they develop immunity to them throughout their lives to eventually live in them. Anemones benefit from clownfishes cleaning its tentacles. Clownfish often eat parasites and are also known to steal more food from anemones than what they give in return. They are also capable of changing sex from male to female. Seeing this particular species depicted tells us a lot not only about haruka, but about his relationship with Muu, as for the first time it's not depicted as a mutual need, a codependency that endangers their lives if they become separated, but a mutually beneficial relationship where both can exist separately, but live much more comfortably by relating to each other in this way.

Extra: Insects (specifically butterflies) and parasites.

The symbolism of transformation and metamorphosis is so present that it even took the title of both voice dramas. Caterpillars can only wriggle and are no different from any worthless worm, but after a season, they manage to transform into a butterfly: beautiful, admirable, much more memorable and lovable. Having been forgiven and meeting Muu, Haruka manages to "fulfill" his metamorphosis and become someone he believes is better. Still, from what is shown in AKAA, it doesn't seem that Haruka is entirely happy with this change happening - the monarch butterflies represents ambition and perseverance, but it seems to be rejected by haruka, who crushes it in his hands

Haruka longs for this transformation, but is unable to fully accept it happening. I think it's because no matter how much he changes and wants to be someone else, he can't get rid of the disastrous image he has of himself, or he has forced himself not to change so as not to be disliked even more by others.

Now, Kotoko is an important figure to Haruka despite not interacting much. It highlights both his codependency (or mutually beneficial relationship) with Muu as much as the fact that he assimilates a parasite.

This is a point I've made several times before, but Haruka's way of socializing is based on taking parts of others and melding them on himself, especially women. It started by stealing his mother's necklace and taking it as his own, continues by killing Mirai and stealing what he lacks, and ends now in a much more obvious way with Muu, imitating her personality, accepting her accessories and the clothes she chooses for him and even copying her sprite pose a bit.

If he had become closer to Yuno and Mahiru, I'm sure he would also start imitating their behaviors in one way or another. Haruka lives by taking parts of the women he surrounds herself with, and he seems to want to take something from kotoko as well, but it's still unclear what he wants.

What does all of this have in common?

Not only is the theme of change and rebirth prominent, but every animal that Haruka comes to hurt relates in one way or another to his desires, thoughts, or parts of himself. Figuratively, we can say that Haruka's case is about him eliminating and hiding every part of himself, until he murders his human victim, Mirai, who at the same time is the closest and most prominent part in him, with whom he wishes he could reconcile and exist together, accepting each other - for, unlike his other victims, Mirai is often presented as a friend and someone Haruka misses. I have yet to write Mirai's analysis on its own, so whether she is also a part of Haruka or not and whether all his kills are figurative is up to each one's choice, I tend to wander between both sides because I like both scenarios. In a less figurative way and taking the case more literally, these facts are simple trivia and interesting symbolism to consider when analyzing Haruka.

#milgram #haruka sakurai #milgram analysis #Weakness analysis #Akaa analysis #Analysis #I'm **SHAKING** DO WE ALL SEE ALL OF THESE HARUKA AS QUEER - GNC - MTF HINTS???#I HOEP WE ALL DO!!#Twt moot infected me with the haruka MTF disease and now I see it everywhere #There are a lot of queer motifs on haruka's story it drives me actually insane. It's so visceral #Anyways I hope you guys like this #It's been a lot since ive last posted an analysis and I really wanted to talk about this #I also want to write something specifically about Mirai and all of the possible interpretations she could have inside haruka's story #Both as a real person and an ideal concept

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doodles-in-sand · 9 months

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sure hope it isnt horribly obvious who my favourites are

(tumblr super crunched them this time i think please click to see the sillys in full quality)

#milgram #milgram project #mu kusunoki #mahiru shiina #shidou kirisaki #kazui mukuhara #art #I almost forgot to add mu lmaoooo #in my defense i finished hers the fastest #also a one up that desktop tumblr has is the ability to edit tags cuz woah boy. i typo so much #anyways i gave up on drawing the carousel horses. i cant draw animals ive never drawn animals that were not 1 to 1 copies of an image #im so happy with the cat/half one tho like. its so shiny. silly colour variation #i dont think im gonna do purge march....not soon anyways #i already have seven of them and while i might as well finish them all i. dont have ideas for a purge march/magic comp #so like im just gonna not for now. anyways lets see if i finish akaa/weakness in time to sign up for a con to booth at #hopefully i finish half/cat by then lmaoo

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good-beans · 4 months

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(Okay wait I saw someone else post about hallucination, can I yell about one of the songs?)

I'm just. Insane over the emotion poured into the live version of AKAA. I didn't expect this song to hit me so hard but Shun Horie really packed it with even more sadness and desperation than the original, and it was the death of me. My favorite part of the song has always been the "mama" section, and the fact that he sounds like he's crying through it??? The two held-out screams at the end????

And the visuals make me equally crazy. The fact that he committed to the blue hair and full outfit makes it really feel like Haruka is there on stage. It really got to me realizing this was his dream come true. He's the center of attention. He's under the spotlight. Finally. He has a huge crowd watching him, looking at him, cheering for him, loving him. He looks so small surrounded by all those people. He looks out to them in disbelief, in pleading.

I don't know man. I'm emotional.

#milgram #haruka sakurai #im still not sure if i can post this so just shhhh #well come and yell with me about it but also shhhhh #i added those pics to a reblog in my queue but you get them again now #i literally teared up during the 'mama' section the first time so i need to share that with all of you #i was finally almost recovered after kingsleigh reopened my akaa wound with her 'Look at me!'#and then he has to go and do this!!!!#triage also crushed my heart but i dont have just the video clip for that so i wont post it rn #but shugo nakamura put his whole pussy into that performance and it came to my house and murdered me #rose posts

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carlysky815 · 6 months

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“Me, the other you, I’ll take it all on.”

#milgram #milgram project #mikoto milgram #mikoto kayano #kayano mikoto #milgram cd #another one!#I’ll take better photos of AKAA and Teadrop when I get the chance

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harukapologist · 4 months

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sometimes, I think about the fact that Haruka has NOTHING in his real life. His father is clearly out of the picture, his mother is... you know, his classmates probably ignore (or bully) him IF he is in school currently which is a big if, and if Mirai is a real person (I'm one of the "Mirai is Haruka/a symbolism of a part of himself" truthers... I have more than one theory about his murder ok), she appeared to be the only person in Haruka's life whom he had a good relationship with... but she's dead. At his own hands' doing. And that makes me think about how that probably makes Haruka feel 10x more remorseful for his murder; he didn't kill someone of the many people in his life who treated him like trash, he killed the only person who cared about him, the only person he really had. To make matters worse in AKAA Haruka is shown to be having kinda a whole mental breakdown, I believe that the murder was an impulse decision when he wasn't in his right mind, at that time. So I can't help but imagine, when he comes back to his senses and calms down, and sees Mirai's dead body, realizing that not only is she gone but his hands will also forever be stained with her blood... sorry, I'm having a lot of thoughts about their relationship in the case that Mirai is a real person....

Mirai aside, this also makes me wonder what will happen at the end of milgram. Will Haruka just, go back to his shitty mom and awful life? It made me reconsider whether I want him to be inno in T3 or not (currently I still do plan on voting him inno) because if the outcome of being inno is returning to the outside world with absolutely zero changes made I absolutely don't want that... You could think about this for other prisoners too. If Mikoto went back to his regular life, he'll start killing himself working again. If Amane went back to her regular life, she'll probably get punished and we know how inhumanely cruel her cult is when it comes to punishments (a fucking taser... on a child...) I'm just going to keep thinking about my half-joke AU where the prisoners live together as a found family after kidnapping Haruka and Amane from their households

#i hc mirai as harukas sister btw. in the theory that shes areal person #haruka plsstop breaking my heart thanks #milgram #haruka sakurai #sakurai haruka #milgram project #i think its funny everyones talking abt mikoto interro and kotoko mv right now but im over here like GUYS HARUKA AND MIRAI #im waiting for deep cover mv btw i didn t see the trailer or leaks #i promise ill get to talking abt deep cover and mikoto after myexam i ppromise #milgram mirai #does mirai have a tag. mirai sakurai??? idk. harukas victim? idk we literallysaw her for like 5 seconds in weakness and akaa combined #but i lov e her mirai silly

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andromedako · 8 months

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ish of the mael and mizuki

hell yeas

#asks #akaa #yeah im normal abt them both but like in diff ways #dont ask abt the 'go to therapy' and 'dont go to therapy' i think she needs help but also i can fix her myself

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euxeris · 2 years

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I'm over here losing my mind over the Haruka verdict... I genuinely cannot think of which answer would be better. To be honest, I think he deserves innocent in round 3? But I don't want to give him a triple inno bc I feel like that could be detriment to himself in a different way? Somebody knock me out I've used my brain too much.

#milgram #haruka sakurai #milgram trial 2 #akaa #nice to see the voting having the smallest difference #(I am dying)#stream akaa #I need the es cover #anyways angst yippee

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supercantaloupe · 2 years

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being a primarily Musicals guy getting more into Opera as of late, it really makes me kinda disappointed seeing how much One Single Production of a musical (typically its original broadway or occasionally west end run) becomes The definitive version of the show. and analysis of the show then tends to treat production and text as inseparable or even identical

like man. opera ppl...y'all have it so good...so many wildly different productions of the same (popular) operas are available to watch filmed, or at your local opera company. i can google don giovanni and find like 10 completely different productions at the click of a button, and none of them are Inherently more the "right" or "wrong" way of being don giovanni. i can have my own opinions on which ones i think work best (and boy do i), but the fact that so many different versions of the same show exist at all is a sign that you CAN have different interpretations of the same text -- and they're all still the same opera, fundamentally. production ≠ text ≠ the whole show

but with musicals i very much feel like, because of how The Industry works, One Production easily becomes The definitive vision of the show. certainly this has to do with the scarcity of filmed musicals when compared to opera (along with bootleg culture + the broader trouble of accessibility in musicals), as well as the (over)prevalence of replica productions, and i think also the age of most musicals is much younger than most operas so there's less time for new productions to be made let alone become popular. like i don't think it's a coincidence that oklahoma!, arguably the oldest true book musical, is the only musical i can think of where a radically nonreplica production gained such popularity and acclaim that it challenges the previous (Very well established!) interpretation of the text as the Definitive version of the show for many audience members. and because of that, it's one of the only shows where the analysis and discourse of the show makes a clear(ish) distinction between the text and the production itself. the vast majority of musicals do not receive the same treatment

it kinda bums me out knowing that musical ppl don't get the same exposure to new visions of a text outside the dominant broadway/west end blockbuster productions. i know regional theater exists and by gd do i feel like it is underrated in its importance to the development of theater literacy in audiences but unfortunately regional productions only VERY rarely get publicized outside of their regions, and therefore can't meaningfully contribute to conversations about a particular musical the same way a broadway production can.

idk i've Long felt that the way musicals become defined by a single production is a fault both of the industry and of the fandoms, and i've been a snob about that here for years. but getting more into opera lately has made me realize just how prevalent the issue is, bc opera Does Not operate the same way.

#akaa large part of why i dont like hadestown fandom or discourse anymore...#this isnt just me being a nytw bitch also it has a lot to do w the talk i was at last week with [ht creative member redacted]#who said they consider the bway version to be 'finalized'. and the way everyone in the q&a only wanted to ask about ht and how they #interpreted it instead of asking more broadly about working in the creative side of the industry and bringing shows to (new) life etc #much to think about. (<- watched yet another production of don g today)#sasha speaks

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